


Compromise

by Raven Elliot Conners (SometimesRaven)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Borderline Personality Disorder, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Demisexuality, E-mail, Emails, Escape, Fluff and Angst, Freedom, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Platonic Relationships, Selective Muteness, Sexual Abuse, Sexuality Crisis, Talking, Teen Angst, Texting, platonic and wholesome, two mentally ill teens use texting to help each other out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-31 18:18:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13980732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SometimesRaven/pseuds/Raven%20Elliot%20Conners
Summary: They met at therapy. Neither of them spoke, but they text. A lot. His dad is abusive; her stepmother is too. He's confused; she knows. She's scared; he wants to help.This is a simple one-shot about a blossoming friendship, teenage angst, and compromise -- with some nonhuman embellishments.





	1. Chapter 1

He first saw her on the way out of therapy. She was on her way in as he came out. She didn’t speak to him, and he didn’t speak to her, but he saw the shape of her nose – the discoloured skin where she’d shaved the fur he knew should be there. She had blue eyes. He smiled, and she smiled back. He caught her looking at his gashes, but he didn’t mind. They passed each other like that every week. Sometimes she had bruises. Sometimes  _he_ did. They never spoke. They smiled, and moved on. 

 _Almost_ every week. One week she didn’t show. The next week she did, but she had a black eye, and she was wearing glasses. She had green eyes, and the pupils were slits. He told her on impulse that she had nice eyes. She smiled, and moved on. The week after that, she slipped her number into his hand, with a little scribble of a smiling wolf and the words  _“Text me. (I’m not asking you out)”_ scrawled in shaky handwriting that was almost as tiny as Oscar’s. He smiled, and moved on.

 _ **[Text to: Catgirl]**  _You don’t talk, do you?  
_**[Text to: the nice wolf]**  _No.  
_**[Text to: Catgirl]**  _Me neither, sometimes  
_**[Text to: the nice wolf]**_  Talking gets you hurt.  
_**[Text to: Catgirl]**_  Yeah

He almost left it there. What could he say to a girl he never spoke with?  _Oh._ Right, yeah.

 _ **[Text to: Catgirl]**_  What’s your name?  
_**[Text to: the nice wolf]**_  Sara  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  That’s a nice name. I’m Oscar  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  That’s a cat name, not a wolf name  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  ;3   
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  You smelled me out?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  Yeah.  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  Cool

They left it, then. The next few weeks they said nothing even when they saw each other; just smiled. 

One day, Sara didn’t show up again. Not that Oscar knew that, because neither did he. That was okay, though. He had Kit, and Lyric and Jesse if he needed them. Completely missing a therapy session because papa decided to go nuts on him while he was getting ready didn’t mean much to him. But today he found himself wondering if Sara had anyone like that. What did missing a session mean to her?

 ** _[Text to: Oscar]_**  I can’t do this anymore.

Apparently, quite a lot. Oscar's heart lurched, then kicked into overdrive. He didn't care if he barely knew her -- his therapy friend was the one thing he actually looked forward to during his sessions. He cared about her no matter how dumb that was.

 ** _[Text to: Sara]_** If I can, you can. I promise  
**_[Text to: Oscar]_** You don't know what I've been through.  
**_[_** _ **Text to: Sara]**  _So tell me

There was a long pause. Oscar could barely tear his gaze away from his phone, anxiously tapping his thumb against the case as he waited for a response. He was just about to send a worried follow-up when his notifications lit up again.

 ** _[Text to: Oscar]_**  How did you get those scars?

Ah. That was fair, he supposed, thinking back on how reluctant he'd been to believe Kit understood him, before he'd found out how similar they were.

 ** _[Text to: Sara]_**  I got in a fight with a demon. Literally, lmao   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  Is it the demon who hurts you?   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  no. He's my friend, he'd never hurt me on purpose.

He almost left it there, but a quiet guilt touched his chest. He glanced towards his bedroom door, almost expecting papa to come back for him while he was texting -- could he really tell her the truth? He didn't tell anyone who was hurting him. But Sara didn't know who his dad was; and he knew the same signs in her. It had to be family hurting her too, right? Especially if she missed therapy over it. Maybe it'd help for her to know.

 ** _[Text to: Sara]_**  My dad does   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  Oh.   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  my stepmom does   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  can I ask you something else?   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  anything   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  have you always lived here? You're Irish right?   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  yeah, I'm Irish.   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  I ran away from home when I was a kid. Knew someone who got me on a plane and everything but mum came looking for me   
**_[Text to: Oscar]_**  wish I could run away like that   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  you can   
**_[Text to: Sara]_**  what if I helped you

Another long pause, then:

 ** _[Text to: Oscar]_**  you don’t know me and I don’t know you. you can’t help. 

Oscar sighed, kicking himself for even saying anything. Why would she trust him with something like that? He didn’t even trust himself. He sent back a short  _alright,_ and she didn’t respond. 

It took him an entire sleepless night to get the courage to check if she was okay.

 _ **[Text to: Oscar]**_ yeah. sorry. I just can’t right now.  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  I get that. sorry if i overstepped. please be safe. see you next week

No response, and he restrained himself from sending a dozen worried follow-ups. 

He saw her the next week. They said nothing, but the smile he gave as he moved on was touched with relief, and when he got home that night it was impossible to hold back on texting her again.

 _ ** _ **[Text to: Sara]**_  **_you alive?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ nope. Can I ask you something personal?  
_**[Text to: Sara ]**_  idk why not  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ what’s your damage? Like not in a bad way, just  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ i mean do you know what you have? what’s ‘wrong’ with you or whatever?  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  yeah. BPD.  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _bipolar?  
_**[Text to: Sara ]**_  borderline  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _oh. I think I know what that is. rip wolfcat  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  yeah  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  hbu?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _just anxiety and the mutism thing. probably depression too.  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _kinda feel dumb asking now, when you got it so bad  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  hey, anxiety’s a shitpile too  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  it’s fine  
_**[Text to: Sara** **]**_  knowing other people have bad shit too can be comforting  
_**[Text to: Oscar** **]**_  yeah

 


	2. Chapter 2

When he found himself panicking in the middle of the night, he didn’t know why he thought of her. She just seemed like she might understand. Lyric probably understood. So did Kit. They were always around -- he just wasn’t sure he had the courage to tell them at all. But there was something nagging at the back of his head when he settled down in his room that night. It wasn’t like he was going to sleep anyway.

 _ _ **[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ _you alive?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ no  
_**[Text to: Sara**  _have you ever had a boyfriend?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ is this you asking me out? I’m not interested.  
~~_[Text to: Sara_ _]  Don’t blame you. Nobody is._~~  
**_[Text to: Sara]_** no, I just  
_**[Text to: Sara**_ ** _]_  **have you ever had a girlfriend?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _one, yeah... is this you coming out?    
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  i’ve seen you with that boy. the weird one that knits. is this about him?  
**_**_[Text to: Sara]_**  _** dont call him weird. his name si Jesse and hes my best friend  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _it wasn’t meant as an insult. sorry. it’s about him though, isn’t it  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ ...yeah.   
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ how do you cope with it  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ being like this  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  being gay?  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ probably  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  your dad hates the gay thing yeah?  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ yh  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ a lot  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ he made me hjate ti to  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ im scared  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  Deep breaths, wolfcat. I’ve seen your friends  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  they’re all gay. you don’t hate it -- you hate you and you hate what your dad does to you. if you weren’t with him this would be fine  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  and if you haven’t already you should tell your knitting friend you like him  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  he cares about you a lot  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  you can’t be happy if you ignore what you are  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  who you like is part of you and nobody has the right to change it

A pause, then:

 _ **[Text to: Oscar]**_  what will your dad do to you if he knows?  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ evrythin  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  ...literally everything?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  including like-.. you know. Corrective, creepy, kid-touching stuff?  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara]_**_****_  esp ecaly that  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  shit   
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  i didn’t know it was that bad. you need to get out of there. do you have someone who can help?  
**_[Text to:_ ** _ ** _Sara_**_** _]_** Lyric knws. i madde ihm not tell anyoen  
**_[Text to: Oscar]_** tell your mom  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ i cant  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ mas been throuhg enufh

There was a long pause. Oscar couldn’t even bring himself to send a follow-up -- his hands were already shaking too much to type and if he let himself give in to the lump in his throat he knew ma would come running. So he waited; rogue tears splashing on the screen as he stared.

 _ **[Text to: Oscar]**_  if i let you help me, will you let your friends help you too?

That wasn’t fair. For a moment he almost said so, biting back a frustrated little growl, but he couldn’t help but take pause.

 _ **[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ you knw i cant  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _you know you can.  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ please. you’re my only friend  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _i don’t want to lose you to this  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ you wont  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ yes I will. I know how these things end. You’ll kill yourself or he’ll kill you and don’t even tell me I’m wrong.  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ ...  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ ok  
_**[Text to: ** _ ** _Sara_**_** ]**_ fine.

* * *

 ** _[Text to: Sara]_** you alive?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_ nope  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  got a question. weird one.  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _hit me  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  is it normal that i didnt want sex with anyone ever until Jesse  
**_[Text to: Oscar]_  **totally. look up asexuality if you can handle the usual bullshit between the actual information  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  if i give you my FB will you give me sources?  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**  _sure, I got you  
_**[Text to: Oscar]**_  I’m ace too btw so if you got questions or whatever hmu  
_**[Text to: _ **Sara**_ ]**_ cool. thank you


	3. Chapter 3

_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _you alive?  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  No  
_**[Text to: Sara]**  _Something happened  
**_[Text to: Sara_ _]_** Something good  
**_[Text to: Sara_ _]_** you okay to hear about good things right now? i need to tell someone so i know its real  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**_ if good things happen to you maybe theyll happen to me too.  
 _ **[Text to: Wolfcat]**_  tell me  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  Lyric told my ma about papa  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  She’s so mad at him  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  She’s stopped me seeing him and last time I saw him both his hands were broken  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _holy shit can I have your mom?  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**_ she sounds badass  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  She is. Really upset though :/  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _only because bad things happened to you. good moms are like that; she’ll be happier now you’re away from him  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  i hope so  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  Lyric’s going to give us some money so she can keep stuff running without papa to help  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _that’s awesome! Lyric’s the nice smelling one, right? Not the fox?  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  nice smelling?  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _kind of fishy?  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  ew  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  yeah that’s him  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**_ he seems nice. I’m glad he helped your family out.  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  I’m just so confused  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  things like this don’t happen to me  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  I don’t deserve them  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**_  you do deserve them. you’re a good person and even most bad people don’t deserve the shit you’ve been through  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_ idk  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  might just ignore this for a while tbh  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  i’m gonna work on finding you help

‘Help’ came a week later. With papa out of the picture, Oscar was spending the majority of his time helping ma in her bakery -- and so he was there when the boy came in looking for help.  
He asked for something ‘to soothe the soul or something’, and it was only while ma was boxing up several boozy cakes that he spoke again. 

“You know anyone who needs a place to stay? I need a roommate. Like a not-human one, yanno? You’re like-.. wolves or something, aren’t you?” he’d said. He sounded Welsh.

“How could you tell?” his mother had wondered.

“Got a friend. Fairy. She reads auras and stuff.” Shrugging, he chewed his lip, “I can pay rent, so I could get my own place, but I’m moving in with my fairy friend and I want to make sure she’s got more company than my miserable arse, you know?” 

“I might know someone.” The words were blurted before Oscar could stop them, overly eager from his spot at the door to the kitchens -- and he immediately scowled at himself, shrinking back a little.

“Yeah?” A little smirk grew on his lips, a hand lifting to run through dark curls, “I can give you contact details yeah? Then you can talk to that someone and see if they’re interested.”

Oscar glanced at his mother, who was frowning a little skeptically but said nothing, and offered the stranger a nod.

“My name’s Justin. Here’s my number and whatever -- I’ll just assume it’s a no-go if I don’t hear from you.”

Another nod, a pocketed note, and a flutter hit Oscar’s chest at the thought that he might just have found a solution for his friend’s problem -- and so soon on the wake of his own solutions it was almost impossible to contain the nervous excitement bubbling in his stomach. He’d have to tell her about this as soon as the shop closed.

* * *

 _ **[Text to: Wolfcat]**_ I don’t trust him.  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  I know. I don’t yet either, but if he’s good then he could be your ticket out of there  
******_[Text to: Sara]_** maybe if we just talk to him and his friend for a while to see if they’re okay people?  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat]**  _idk...  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  you said you’d let me help you  
_**[Text to: Sara]**_  I’ll be here if you want. Group email? FB?  
**_[Text to: Wolfcat]_  **...whichever is fine.


	4. Chapter 4

**From** : blueeyedbeast@gmail.com  
**To** : sarasnapdragon@gmail.com; definitelynotademon@gmail.com;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

Hey,

Thought we should get to know each other before we make any choices. Sara, this is Justin -- Justin, Sara, etc.

-Oscar

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Justin Jones’;

 **To** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  ‘Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

(omg u wrote it like a proper business email bless u)

anyway hi sara. you're the nonhuman friend of the baker's boy yeah? im the part-demon with the fairie girlfriend

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; 'Oscar Brown’;  
Subject: why are subjects even a thing

I don't know what I am. alien or something. But yeah.

...What do you mean part-demon? What kind of demon?

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Justin Jones’;  
**To** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  ‘Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

dunno. common all-garden demonic entity 101(tm) y'know? like a shard of 1 is stuck in my soul or smth, if you believe that. I've got memories + shit but im technically not a demon, like its just kinda clinging to me like a bad poo

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; 'Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

that's disgusting >w<

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Justin Jones’;  
**To** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  ‘Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

made u laugh tho :P

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; 'Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

I don't laugh, I huff with disinterest and immediately remove all enjoyment from my general vicinity.

* * *

* * *

 

 **From** : 'Oscar Brown’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

mood

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Justin Jones’;  
**To** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  ‘Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

then we'll get along just fine - im the embodiment of apathy

so tell me abt urself sara. wolfboy's all "lips sealed say no more" abt u. it's kinda sweet but also like, i wanna get to know u b4 i move u in with 2 strangers

and i know ur probably the "what is there to tell???" type so im gonna prompt it ok? tell me  _everything._ what do you do every day? what do you want to to? what's wrong with you? (bc lbrh no nonhuman in this society gets away without some Damage(tm)) what's right with you? why d'you need a free place anyway?

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; 'Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

oh jesus ok um

Mostly I just kinda wallow? Idk it's hard to say what I do because I can't really do anything I want without being yelled at. I listen to music a lot I guess. I wanted to be a singer but that's just kids' dreams. What's right with me? If you listened to my stepmom then nothing lol. Idk I guess I'm not  _physically_ fucked up, besides my face. 

As for what's wrong with me and why I need a place... okay look, I'm not  _people_ material. I don't speak, ever. I don't do much of anything at all. I've got a shit tonne of anxiety and if I don't see my therapist every week without fail I'll immediately want to kill myself. I've got an ugly fucking literal cat face and I'm stupid because I didn't go to school, because of the aforementioned cat face.

I can see in the dark, and I know when the weather's going to change. Cool right! Except I also sense _dead people._ And by dead people I mean  _people who are **about** to die. _If you're going to die I'll fucking know about it and sometimes I get it for random people in the street and there is  _nothing_ I can do about it because it's fucking random and it doesn't even tell me  _how_ they'll die! And it's so vague sometimes that I think I'm just being paranoid but lol I'll have a panic attack about it anyway.

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Justin Jones’;  
**To** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  ‘Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

wait wait hold up, "if u listened to my stepmom then nothing"? is everything ok at home? i mean obvs not but y;know, when ppl say shit like that theres usually more 2 it.

first things first idc if u speak or not tbh. verbal communication is overrated anyhow; and i can make sure u get 2 ur therapist every week, or like-.. keep an eye on u if u can't. im sure ur catface isnt ugly -- it's impossible for cats 2 be ugly, and if u want to be a singer then that's not kid's dreams; you can do that. i play guitar actually so like- maybe we could start a band lmao

but like- the deadsense thing??? that's cool as fuck. and it could work really well with my thing bc like sometimes i have these blackouts? and they can get pretty violent so if u could tell if some1 is abt to die i could like-.. make sure im not in the room with them and wait it out. my girlfriend can sense auras and help with emotional stuff too so she can make sure ur comfy and calm??

holy shit this could actually work. i think we should meet up, see how we mesh irl??? like maybe next week at the pub, like 4pm??

* * *

* * *

**From** : ‘Sara Kinney’;  
**To** : ‘Justin Jones’; 'Oscar Brown’;  
**Subject** : why are subjects even a thing

I just blurted my life story at you and you still want to meet me?

...see you next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Epilogue

A few months later, Sara was living with a faerie and a demon shard. She still didn’t speak; not much at least, but she was happy where she was, and that was a new feeling. Sometimes it made her nervous. But she was out, and that was what mattered. 

Justin and the faerie (whom she discovered was English, and named Cassie) were a million times nicer than she expected. A  _billion_ times. A couple of foreign weirdos who didn’t mind her own weirdness one little bit. Sometimes she even kept her contacts out -- they seemed to like her eyes.

Another month later and Sara was in a place she’d never expected to be. Dating a demon shard --  _and_ his faerie girlfriend. She’d been worried (like, “run away and never come back” worried), but they were so fucking nice-.. The moment she brought up she liked them, they were making plans; figuring out how much bigger the bed would have to be to accommodate all three of them. They even asked her sexuality so they could figure out how the sex would work (Cassie and Justin bang. Sara makes tea). It was nice.

She didn’t see Oscar anymore. He’d stopped coming to therapy; in fact, she hadn’t seen him around town  _at all._ She hoped he was okay.

 _ **[Text to: Wolfcat <3] **_hey, you alive?   
**_[Text to: Wolfcat <3] _**idk where you went, but if you still have this phone then I want to tell you I’m doing okay. More than okay. I hope you are too. You deserve it.  
_**[Text to: Wolfcat <3] **_thank you so much

He never responded to her texts anymore, but-.. that was okay. He wasn't her only friend anymore. Even if he didn't like her anymore, he'd still done so much-- she couldn't be upset about it.

She smiled, and moved on.


End file.
